Benefits of regular screen breaks from your computer

Benefits of regular screen breaks from your computer

Ever wanted to know the secret of how to become more productive? It’s simple really, take breaks! Taking a break is the action of having a pause in work or during an activity. Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) suggests that it's better to take shorter breaks more often at your workstation than longer breaks and less often. Research has also found that the most productive people work for 52 minutes and then take breaks for up to 17 minutes.

The success of this formula comes from the fact that if you are working, you will be dedicated to the accomplishment of tasks, getting things done and making progress, whilst during your breaks, you’ll be completely removed from the work you’re doing. The ability of being able to deactivate and then reactivate allows you to stay focused.

Furthermore, excessive work can lead to mental strain and affect your physical health. Eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision are just some of the symptoms that can suggest that you’ve spent too much time at your desk. This is known as computer vision syndrome. It is advised to give your eyes regular breaks, resulting in less discomfort and eyestrain.

Sitting in the same position for a long time can lead to the feeling of being tense and achy. It’s normal to find tension across your back, neck, shoulders and arms. This should indicate to you when a break is needed. This is why it’s crucial to use your breaks to move around.

Research has also found that short breaks throughout the day can result in being more alert. It’s no surprise to find that working long hours can lead to fatigue. We suggest regular breaks to improve your productivity and quality of work, attention levels, awareness and how fast you work. Your body will give you the following signals suggesting it's time to have a short break: finding it difficult to concentrate, feeling tired, being hungry and feeling restless.

Breaks can lead to a huge release of stress. If you are productive in your breaks, such as taking a walk or even going to the gym, it will give you time to unwind and recover from your work. Breaks can also give you a sense of achievement as when you have successfully finished a task, you are rewarded with a break. There are very good health and productivity reasons to take a break. Moreover, the law requires any worker who has been working for 6 hours or more to have a 20 minute break.

In conclusion, it is heavily recommended to take regular breaks if you are working at your computer to increase your attention, productivity and quality of your work. Furthermore, without regular breaks, you are likely to suffer from tension across your back, neck, shoulders and arms. As discussed in the above paragraph, you are also entitled to breaks which you should make the most of, this will not just be advantageous to you, but also to the company you work for.